Casket



May 23, i939. .1. FLETCHER 2,159,144

GASKET Filed Feb. 17, '1957 2 sheets-sheet 1 Elu/venom@ JJM fo Us el;

May 23, 1939.

J. FLETCHER 2,159,144

GASKET Filed Feb. 17, 1937 2 sheets-sheet 2 @Hou/MAJ Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES iATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to burial caskets. The main object of my invention is to provide a casket wherein the corpse may be supported in a position to be readily viewed, as before and during the burial service and preliminary to closing of the casket and interment, and particularly enabling the corpse to be viewed without necessitating close proximity of an observer to the casket.

Another object is to provide a casket compris.- ing an outer casing and an inner body holding member which may be adjusted to tilt the body sideways.

Still another object is to construct a casket comprising an outer casing and an adjustable inner body holder in the form of a transparent enclosure in order to give a more complete view of the corpse.

A further object is to provide a casket including an inner body holder, and so constructed that the holder is movable in the casket to adjust the body to a position where it may be observed from the side and so that portions of the casket proper may be opened to enable the corpse to be observed without extreme adjustment of the inner holder.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a casket having a tilting inner body holder and swinging cover sections which are adjusted simultaneously through common actuating means.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of my casket in open position showing the body holder tilted.

Fig. 2 is an end sectional view of the casket in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a similar view in open position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the casket in open position.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the particular arrangement for tilting the body holder.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the numeral I indicates generally the burial casket comprising an outer main casing I I and an inner body holding member I2.

The outer casing II is constructed generally oi 45 the design of the ordinary drop-side casket, but

is modified in detail for adaptationto my particular use. One side portion I3 of this casing may be hinged as at I4 at a point sufciently near the base of the casing to permit it to be opened out- 50 wardly and give a side view of the interior of the casing. The sides and ends of the casing are provided with top border portions I5 and I6 which extend inwardly thereof to provide a framing for my preferred form of closure for the casing.

Any type of closure may be provided but I prefer to employ a` plurality of sections I1 hinged to the ends of the casing as shown at I8 in Fig. 3 so as to swing upwardly and outwardly towards the respective ends of the casket.

'I'he inner body holder I2 in its simplest form 5 may be a platform adapted to receive the body and expose it to view through the drop-side of the main casing. The body holder may comprise a laterally tiltable base I9 upon which the body is to be supported, by the aid of straps or other l0 securing means if necessary, to prevent accidental shifting. Preferably, however the body holder will take the form of an inner casket with at least some and preferably all of its side and top walls of transparent material such as glass. This arl5 rangement is shown in the drawings. In such case a housing having transparent side and top walls 22 and 23 is employed in association with the solid base I9, being detachably supported by side and end walls 2) and 2l of the base. 20

The body holder is adjustably supported in the casing to tilt sideways about an axis extending longitudinally of the casing. This is accomplished in the illustrated construction by the use of cross arms secured to the underside of the body holder which are provided with hinges 21 at one end. Such arms may be secured through their hinges to similar underlying arms xed in the bottom of the casing so as to swing thereon and simultaneously elevate and tilt the body holder sideways. While the tilting axis is here shown located adjacent the lower side edges of both the inner body holder and casing the invention is not limited in this respect.

'Ihe means for tilting the body holder comprises a screw 28 extending vertically between the outer casing and body holder and mounted for rotation in the member 29 fixed to the base of the casing. The outer end of the screw extends through the top border portion of the casing and terminates in a polygonal end adapted to receive a removable crank for turning the screw. An elongated sleeve 29 is tted on the screw and adapted to ride upwardly as the screw is rotated. It is necessary to interconnect the sleeve and body holder through a lost motion connection because of the change in position of the body holder as it tilts relative to the screw. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 this may take the form of a U-shaped slotted member 3E] formed integral with the sleeve 29 in the slots of which rides a pin 3l carried by bracket 32, the latter being xed to the body holder base I9 by suitable screws.

Incidental to the tilting of the body holding member upon rotation of the actuating means I 55 have disclosed an automatic arrangement for opening the lids of the outer casing and as shown this comp-rises an arm 33 interconnecting each section of the lid with the body holder. Preferably the arms 33 at their ends are provided with a loose pivotal connection With both. the lid and body holder allowing for tilting of the body holder as the lids swing open and this may take the form of a ball and socket joints 34. The leverage of the arms 33 is so arranged that when the body holder is in its lower position the lids will be closed and when tilted to its raised position the lids will be inclined outwardly suiiciently to actv as supports upon which iiowers may be banked.

I claim:

1. In combination, a casing adapted to house a body and having a side wall providing a view of the interior of the casing, a body holder in Y the casing, and a pivotal mounting in the casing for the body holder providing for tilting movement of the body holder towards said side wall about an axis extending longitudinally of the casing.

2. A burial device comprising a casket, and an adjustable inner casing adapted to house a body mounted for tilting movement in the casket, said inner casing having a transparent wall through which a body may be viewed when said casing is tilted in the casket.

3. A burial device comprising a casket, and a transparent inner casing therein mounted to tilt laterally in the casket and adapted to permit aV body supported in the casing to be viewed from the side of the casket.

4. A burial device comprising a casket, and an inner casing adapted to house a body, said inner casing having its top and at least one of its side walls of transparent material and mounting means supporting the inner casing for tilting movement laterally inthe casket.

5. A burial device comprising a casket, a side tuating means for tilting the body holder side- Ways in the casket, and means operating through tilting of the body holder to open the casket lid.

7. A burial device comprising a casket, a body holdermounted to tilt sideways in the casket, actuating means for tilting the body holder, and lid sections on the casket hinged to swing open in opposite. directions towards the respective ends of the casket under tilting movement of the body holder.

8. A burial device comprising a casket having movable top and side portions adapted to be opened to provide an unobstructedview of the interior of the casket through the open side, and a body holder in the casket and means for tilting the holder towards the open side portion of the casket and permitting a body supported by the body holder to be viewed from the side of the casket.

9. A burial device comprising a casket having a movable side wall providing a view of the interior, a body holder disposed within the casket, and hinged mounting means adjacent said side wall permitting the body holder to be swung upwardly in the casket about a longitudinal axis located adjacent said side of the casket, thereby to permit a body supported by said holder to be viewed through the open side of the casket.

JUN'IoUs FLETCHER. 

